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Owen Alba
Owen Alba is the fourth son of the Lord Norran of House Alba of Eastwyck which is a Junior House to the House of Alba in the town of Thornhaven, March of Blackthorn , Barony of Briarwood. The House Alba of Eastwyck has maintained the March of Eastwyck for over a hundred years. Their seat of power is within the town of Browin but they also control the villages of Greythorn's Hollow and Woodbury. It was the village of Woodbury , a forgotten village born out of a lumber camp, that Owen was given lordship over in an attempt to remove him from the sight of the rest of the House. Family As a member of the House Alba of Eastwyck, Owen was invested as a Warden of Woodbury Hold. When he was given the village of Woodbury it made him, technically, a landed noble. This means that he's not just a noble by birth but rather he has a given territory to rule over as its protector and sole authority. Because of this he is nearly required to have a banner of some kind - a symbol or heraldic device that is placed upon all of the livery (tabbards and such) for those in his service. He had never given the subject much of a thought because of his involvement with the Green Wardens . Though not technically a Warden himself he would never had need of a banner - not until his arrival at woodbury. Once he was starting to take on guards and such, the question of livery was raised. During his brother's rule, the keep at Woodbury never had livery. It's even possible that his brother never bothered to design a banner for himself as he was too busy taunting and terrorizing the people he should be protecting. Owen, giving honor to the Wardens who he grew to admire within their service, chose to incorporate an arrow in his banner; two in fact to represent that he had two allegiences; to his family and to the village. The oakleaf at the center and the colors of his banner owes to the house to which his own family swears fealty, the House of Alba . *Father: Norran Alba *Mother *Brothers: Alvyn Alba Abilities Owen is an accomplished archer and has been trained to fight with a sword and dagger. He is also versed in a few arcane cantrips (Dabbler) but he has not had the time or the training to develop his understanding of magic. His known spells: *Light *Finger of Flame *Pull (limited variants of Mage-Hand ) *Push (limited variants of Mage-Hand ) Gear and Possessions Owen did not take his oath as a Green Warden and so did not get one of their infamous blackwood bows . He does, however, have a sturdy longbow of Bronzewood , a short sword and a pair of daggers. The bronzewood bow was a gift from his father on his 18th name day after he had won an archery tournament held in his honor. The bow was made by the Sylvanari of the town of Tethquendyl and was given a name which in Arness means "Sun Shot " or "He shoots with the power of the Sun". In the language of the Sylvanari it is "Arnath Tego" History Born in the fall of 855 KR, he entered the Priory of Thornhaven at twelve (867 KR ) to begin his formal education. Unlike his parents or siblings, Owen was born with raven-black hair and brown eyes that were so pale they looked almost golden. He was a peculiar sort of child growing up in Browin. While his brothers were off wrestling and fighting he was busy exploring the countryside, reading or writing in his journal. He was fascinated by the world around him - more so than his parents thought fitting for a noble. When he returned home from the priory on the two breaks a year in spring and autumn, he couldn't find much in common with his family and so remained essentially isolated. His fondness for the wilds and his skill with a bow seemed to make him a natural choice for the Wardens and his father was willing to make a donation for him to join the order without delay but he did not wish to give up his freedom anytime soon. When he reached his fourteenth year he discovered that he had a minor talent for arcane magic. Nothing serious enough for him to dedicate his life to the training necessary to become a wizard, or so his parents thought, but it was something that his father could call upon him at family gatherings to make a demonstration of fireworks and lights. The Priory, under Prior Godrick Greythorn, did not have the means of teaching him any degree of advanced magic. It was only though his own study that he could manifest more than the most basic of cantrips. By the time of his graduation from the priory at the age of eighteen, he was asked by his father what he would like to do with his life. He could not answer directly. He liked his life at the Priory and would stay there for so long as he was allowed. His father wanted him to make something of himself other than a 'worthless scholar'. So, before he could protest, his father 'gave' him to the Green Wardens so that he might find some purpose in life. Two months after he joined the Green Wardens, Tethys Thornwalker was installed as the Priory of Thornhaven . ''The Green Wardens '' For five years he served in the Green Wardens, protecting the North Marches from the threat of a Goblin Uprising. Though he rejected being sent to the Wardens, at first, he eventually grew to enjoy his time with the Green Men. Working with the order, his first duties were that of a Steward handling the logistical and day-to-day duties of feeding, clothing, housing, arming the two-hundred Wardens operating in his region. He had a talent for organzing vast projects and keeping track of what was needed to be done, when and by whom. When he finished his five year pledge of service, an apprenticeship period commonly observed before taking the vows of a Green Warden, he was asked if he wished to take his vows and become a Ranger of the Wardens. Stewards, as not true Rangers, are not obligated to remain within the Order except for pledges of five years of service. He choose to remain a Steward with the private hope that he might be assigned to one of the Green Towers near the town of Thornhaven which would allow him a better chance of studying with Master Tethys. He had already been in correspondence with the wizard of the House of Alba but there was only so much he could learn in letters. ''Brother's Death Two years into his second pledge of service with the Green Wardens, 880 KR, a letter reached him that one of his older brothers, the third born, had died while fighting goblins. This shifted the family's control of the villages and towns in the March leaving an opening. There was no one to run the village of Woodbury. Not that his older brother actually did much with the village but his father instructed that Owen would leave the Wardens and assume the mantle of Lord of Woodbury immediately. His father had asked the Baron of Briarwood, Lord Bardos Alba , to confirm his appointment at once and Bardos had no objection. The tension between Owen and his father was at an all-time high. First he sent Owen to the Wardens to get him out of his way and then, when he was needed, sent word and insisted that he return as commanded like a well-trained dog. It was only his brothers of the Order who reminded him that running a village is no different than running the multitude of towers in the region. Owen had made many friends within the Wardens and leaving them was difficult but the realization of being able to run an entire village did appeal to him. He invited all of his friends who were close to the village to take their ease as his guest. Woodbury 'See also: Woodbury Chronicles ''' Category:Noble/Minor Category:Born/855 KR Category:Ranger Category:Human Category:Character Category:North Marches Category:Noble Category:Huran Category:Briarwood Category:Woodbury Category:Alba Category:Male Category:Neutral Good Category:Dabbler Category:Alba of Eastwyck